ECOWAS Declares State of Emergency in West Africa

The Economic Community of West African States has declared a state of emergency across the region following renewed political instability, rising security threats, and worsening humanitarian conditions.

The announcement was made by the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Touray, during the 55th Session of the Mediation and Security Council at the ministerial level in Abuja, where he warned that the region now faces unprecedented risks that demand urgent collective action.

Touray cited multiple military interventions, fragile political transitions, growing electoral tensions, and the expanding influence of terrorists and criminal networks as key drivers of the deteriorating security climate, noting that ECOWAS member states currently fall within a “high-risk” category based on regional assessments.

He emphasised that elections have increasingly become triggers of instability, while recent attempted coups in Guinea-Bissau and the Benin Republic underscore the fragility of democratic governance across the sub-region.

The ECOWAS Commission President also reviewed the severe humanitarian crisis facing West Africa, noting that UNHCR data shows more than 7.6 million people are currently displaced across the region, most of them internally.

“Events of the last few weeks have shown the imperative of serious introspection on the future of our democracy and the urgent need to invest in the security of our community,” Touray said.

“Faced with this situation, Excellencies, it is safe to declare that our community is in a state of emergency,” he added.

Touray called for more frequent engagements of the Mediation and Security Council over the next year and urged member states to uphold constitutional norms, strengthen regional unity, and pursue coordinated action against terrorism and cross-border criminality.